Blogs Feb 23, 2016 at 10:40 am

Comments

1
How exactly is the National Crime prevention Council (based in blue D.C. and surrounded by blue Maryland) putting ads on buses in L.A. (they are actually running this campaign nationwide) "blue cities telling red states not to kill their kids?"

People in blue states own guns too, and I have even heard it whispered that sometimes even liberals own guns.
2
It will fall on deaf ears? I live in Texas, where we have a child access prevention law. Every gun shop and shooting range I've ever been to has a prominently displayed sign that says "It is a FELONY to leave a gun within the reach of a minor." This is true even if the minor doesn't actually fire the gun and no one is hurt.
3
I also looked at the bus ad differently.

"Look, we can't control who you kill with your guns...evidently, that's your right. BUT, you might not want to get killed by your son with your own gun. That would just be embarrassing. So, lock up your guns so you're the only one who gets to kill other people with 'em."

Which isn't exactly the message that I would want to send...but it's something...I guess...
4
there are plenty of negligent armed idiots in cities, but I feel you.
6
Kids see this and think guns are cool.
7
My solution is much simpler. I didn't have kids. Yay guns!
8
@2 - When was the last time that someone in Texas was put into jail for violating the Child Access Prevention Law? As the NRA says overandoverandover again, we need enforcement of current laws...

So ummm, when?
9
Good news! You can rerun this exact article anytime you need a day off this election cycle. But print it bigger. And maybe let the rest of us copy off your work and spread this message far and wide. Because you're right. I can no longer give any fucks about small towns voting against their own interests. Fuck all of them.
10
I've seen them where I live, which is in the exburbs of one of those cities listed by 5. While the heart may be blue, the exburbs are very much not.
11
should cities also grow all their own food? produce their own gasoline and diesel? grow their own lumber? mine their own metals? the idea that cities can somehow dissociate themselves from the hinterlands that make urban life possible is sheer nonsense.
12
All this extrapolating from a PSA? As a writing exercise, how about extrapolate a wear-your-seatbelt PSA into a piece about how Republicans are stopping efforts to prevent global warming?
13
11: No, we'll buy them from the cheapest source that satisfies our safety and quality standards. The midwest, china, whomever will provide. We'll use our collective economic might, and give no heed to the impact on the heartland of the results of our decision. Because we can, and fuck them.
14
Right. Great attitudes for an election year. Civil War revisited, anyone?
15
You know what a totally sane, rational response is when someone says "Fuck off. Your issues are no longer our issues"?

Donald Trump.

All you highfalutin edumacted urban librals should start looking in the mirror when it comes to recognizing the inputs to our polarized political climate - you're at least half of the problem.
16
@13 You're channelling Martin Shkreli pretty hard there.
17

Are you kidding? I would be TICKLED to revisit the Civil War, or at least, to divide up the country and put a 50 foot perhaps electrified wall around the south/flyover states. Think about it. They torture us with candidates and presidents like Reagan and W for 8 years each, and in their minds, we have ruined the country by electing and reelecting the likes of the black dude. Why should we make them miserable if Hillary wins? Or her? Think she won't face even worse obstruction than Obama ever did? And why should I have to withstand President (gasp) Trump? Watch *that* guy give an inaugural address even for 5 seconds??

Let them have their Southland - where they can hand out guns to every 3 year old, outlaw any and all government regulation - goodbye clean air and water! Where they can make being an immigrant or trans or a homo or trying to obtain an abortion (which will be illegal in all circumstances) punishable by death. (Oh wait, what am I saying? No female in Southland will be pro-choice - until she gets pregnant, by her rapist or otherwise, and doesn't want to be.) Watch them do away with science, mandate the teaching of the bible in all schools, and the reading from it in all workplaces to start and close the day. Watch for the return of the Promise Keepers and men as the "Head of Household" and women as meek, quiet beings, without any opinions (or power) of their own. (What a dilemma it'd all be for the Log Cabin repubs!)

They would be happier and WE would all be MUCH, much happier and healthier, surely? Guns outlawed/nonexistent (as much as possible) up here? School and mall and workplace shootings a weekly event down there? Universal single payer healthcare up here? Only those with enough $$ in their "health savings accounts" able to see a doctor down there?

18
Chicago's pretty fucking blue... Guess there's no gun violence there. Right?
19
And that ad is on a bus in Los Angeles.... California....... Red? Really???
20
Worth remembering that Reagan grew up in Illinois and Bush grew up in Connecticut.
21
Velvetbabe; I do see your point, emotionally. Isn't Trump from New York though? He'd be on your side of the fence. Then again, he is keen to build a fence, perhaps just he could just put it a little higher up.
What a country. No wonder dope is legalized there.
22
Lava, yep he is from NYC. Meanwhile, Big Bird, our wonderful mayor is considering giving him an endorsement. Have to look for the article. Didn't read the whole crap once I saw the headline. Like motherfucker, why?!
23
@18: Do I really need to remind you about all the jackasses who buy guns at Indiana gun shows without background checks and then traffic them into Chicago, sans paper trail?
24
@23. The point is, this is a blue state and red state problem. Building a wall along the Mason Dixie line won't solve the problem. Note Bernie sanders and vermont.

Amd save a little of your distain from your southern brethren, of which I am one. Atlanta has been a lgb haven in the south (not without some b@dshit). There are a lot of old guard social liberals, like my family (seven generations virginian) who continue to fight the good fight on behalf of progressivism. And we went out for Obama.

Stereotyping is the first step toward dehumanizing the other. Not all of us are redneck mouthbreathers. We can claim the brilliant Bill Clinton and the remarkable Jimmy Carter.

Although gawd knows I want to disown huckabee. Blag.
25
@24: You can't fool me! I live in Texas now!
I do wish there were more Southerners like you, though...
26
@25.

I think its a two part problem.

First, there is a certain amount of self-selection in moving. My husband, a social liberal but fiscal conservative, won't go to California too willingly. But doesn't mind the south because he's male and isn't gay, which means he doesn't have to think that much about right to access to bc/abortion/family planning or lgb rights. So people come down here who aren't directly impacted by the social conservatism. While he supports PP and the right to chose (i'd never have touched him if he didn't), I wish he'd been with me when I had to get my abortion at age 19. In addition, Atl, generally, blue. There are tons of northerners in many of the major southern cities which very much dilutes the oppression of the hinterland. That said, Georgia is getting ready to pass one of those horrible "religious freedom bills" and at least one tech company is trying to make noise about moving. Coca Cola and several other major companies have been squawking over it as well. I hope they get louder. Imagine the impact on Georgia if CC threatened to leave.

The second is the smothering effect. Many liberals feel they are alone because of the overarching noise in the media down here. We have Eric Erickson/Red State/Hannity (started here and then moved to NYC)/Cain. During the second election of the Shrub, political activists came to my door. They were two white old men, so when they started in about politics, I (young unmarried white woman) said I didn't really think our politics would be aligned as I was a social liberal and not terribly religious. One smiled and said, "so are we, and you'd be surprised how many of us there are." It's harder, to be honest, to make a stand when you think you are alone. I am in the exburbs now, die hard red, but my episcopal church recognizes gay weddings and has several same sex couples. I got involved somewhat in the local house rep election and flew my Obama sign in a neighborhood awash in Romney.

My family is very involved in demo politics on a local level in Va. I have vowed to become more involved and active myself. Part of it I think requires speaking honestly, including about the abortion. It saved my life, metaphorically not literally. And while for me it was emotionally painful (not everyone feels the same), I don't regret it for a moment.

I know many many idiot bubbas and bubba-ettes down here, so I get why people in Seattle or other places above the M-D line get frustrated. It was a breath of fresh air, living in Mountain West for me, to be away from the racism. Although those are traditionally red states, they are more anti-government libertarian states, not necessarily as heavily racist or religious. I wish we could relocate to Colorado myself. But it isn't happening. All I can do it try and make life the best it can be in the here and now.

One final point, which goes back to my mini-rant over dehumanization. One of the pundits pointed out that in South Carolina, a lot of the moderates will tend to id as republican, whereas in other states they might id as independent. There are people like my husband, a solid "I," who feels very turned off by the demos at times. He's pro choice, pro gay marriage, atheist, pro-fourth amendment, anti patriot act, warren court constitutionalist. But he's also from a military family, an superb marksman, and thinks some of the gun regulations being proposed by the left are idiotic. He's kind of a Bernie Sanders type (who recognized the Vermonters liked their hunting guns). In the south, I think the democratic party has to make a home for people like him. I'm not sure how. I am all for more gun regulation.

Sandy Hook. Oh lord. Sandy Hook. And not long later, in Atlanta. http://www.npr.org/2014/01/31/268417580/…

I'm really only a nominal christian, but I thank which ever god, allah, yahweh, or Hecate who put Tuff in the school that day.

Ok, I wrote a book here mulling over the conflict of living in the south as a social progressive. Thanks for letting me shout into the nether space.

Cheers

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.